So we originally revisited The Henge (Relapse)—the solo debut of Zombi keyboardist/bassist Steve Moore—after reading J. Bennett’s Earth story and seeing the dude’s name pop up as Dylan Carlson’s full-time organist. The twist being that Steve Moore the Earth/Sunn O))) Sideman is not the same guy as Steve Moore of Zombi.
Apparently the underground metal scene isn’t as incestuous as we once thought. Not that it matters; true to its break-of-dawn sleeve, The Henge is the sonic equivalent of staring at the sun for too long—at times gorgeous, disorientating and downright blinding, with its fair share of sepia-tinged synth tones and spacious drone structures. The latter is what separates this apart from just another Zombi album—not that that would be a bad thing; Pittsburgh’s leading synth/bass/drums duo is killer as well.
While the towering, 14-and-a-half-minute closer, “Cepheid,” recalls the tense, space-age scores and slight Dario Argento allusions of Moore’s full-time gig, most of his solo outing taps into a Tangerine Dream mindset of dreamy ambient compositions and sinister dynamics. “Dead Tide” is particularly creepy, with unpredictable, pointed piano keys and synth lines that sound like gusts of wind in a graveyard at 4 a.m.
Highly, highly recommended for the next time midnight madness sets in.
LISTEN: “Cepheid (edit)”
2 Responses to “LONG PLAYER OF THE DAY: Steve Moore, ‘The Henge’”
on August 31st, 2009 at 1:30 am #
[...] just revealed the whereabouts of drummer A.E. Paterra. Much like the Lovelock alias of his bandmate Steve Moore, Majeure is disco music for paranoid androids and anyone who appreciates analog synths and the [...]
on November 18th, 2010 at 11:00 am #
[...] Moore’s latest synth-driven masterwork is indeed more sci-fi sounding than his solo debut, The Henge. Sample both sides (available for pre-order here) after the jump, along with Moore’s [...]